Leaving the Darkness
by emswords
Summary: What happens when you shut down and don't let anyone in because your scared. Do you lose them or do they stay. Come with Bella, Edward, and James, as they try to get Bella back to the way she used to be. Sweet, charming, and sometimes a bitch. See if edward wants to stay then...
1. Chapter 1

Jpov

She's quiet and always sits in the back of the class. No friends, Even me, she hardly talks to me anymore. She has gone mute. Her dark hair flows over her shoulder as she looks out the window. What's she thinking I wonder? She's blocked me out. My sister and I have a special connection. I missed the old her, the laughing, outgoing sticks up for herself, the girl I knew. Now, well now, she's mute. She sits alone everywhere, even her labs she worked alone.

"Bella" She doesn't turn her head; she must be deep in thought to not even pay attention. "Isabella," Our teacher snapped. Finally she looked up and blushed. It's a good thing that she's really smart and the teachers don't mind if she doesn't pay close attention sometimes.

"I'm sorry" she said in a very quiet voice. I knew she would have said something a couple years ago… when she was more outgoing. She used to stand up for everything she did, if she was being upset by something she would have defended and maybe even get a little angry. Now, she just puts her head down and says sorry. "The answer is 'b'" she said again. The teacher told her she was correct and went back onto the lesson. Sometimes the teacher likes to call on Bella, I suppose it's just to try to bring her out of the shell she put up last year. Bella and I are siblings; I'm her younger brother… by about a month but still. Our dad is the chief of police and our mom died last year due to a heart condition. After that Bella just became dark, ever since 18 her face just got emptier and emptier. My father believes it was our mom's death that caused it, the darkness and the emptiness. I think it might be something different… well I know it was something different. My sister and I are odd "Kids" for lack of a better word, we have a special connection and "abilities" we are telepathic, we can speak to each other's thoughts, however lately she's blocked me out. I can't reach her. Another ability is how she feels everyone else emotions and reacts… Or she used to react, I know she feels other people's emotions, she just doesn't have her own anymore, or so it seems. The bell rings and she's out the door, she hates being late. I leave the class with my friend mike and we go to our lockers. On our way to our class we notice a large group of people gathered around a locker.

"Hey James, Look at that group of people. I wonder who the Paps are picking on today" The "Paps" are what we have called the "poplars" for as long as I could remember. When he said that he struck a cord in my head. There was one person I could think of that would not stand up to a "bully" so to speak. I grabbed Mike's arm and pulled him towards the group. As we got closer there are a lot of people laughing. We try to squeeze through but the group is like packed in there.

"Why don't you stand up? Do you like the floor that much? Since your so clumsy maybe you could just marry the floor." Just as I thought. Tanya. "You're such a freak, you know that right, no talent and mute." I try to get through, I know Tanya is just on one of her bullying strikes and unfortunately my sister is the victim, I try to get through again. Bella no longer stands up for herself like she used to, she just stands there and waits till she's done and never says anything. I hate it! Tanya continues her tirade against my sister as I try to squeeze myself through with little success. I get to a place where I can kind of see her… She's sitting on the ground at the bottom of her locker. What? I try to get through but stop short when I hear a strong voice coming through the group.

"Enough Tanya." The angry voice says. The affect was instantaneous, the girls sighed and the jocks moved. She flung herself at him and embraced him like she was the victim of some crime. Edward seemed quite sick at the display…well she was the schools hoe…

"Oh Edward!" Tanya said in a sickly flirtatious voice. I was starting to find her voice and her whole self, clawing on my nerves. The audacity, she goes and bullies my sister and tries to act like the victim. The nerve of some people. Edward glowered at her and maneuvered out of her embrace.

"What are you doing?" he asked walking forward. "It isn't right Tanya, to bully." His voice got softer as he got closer to my sister, and his eyes. I had never seen anyone other than my dad look at her that way, when my dad did it was when she was little. What is going on?

Tanya glowered and moaned "She basically threw her books and almost made me fall, do you know what would happen to my nails if I had fallen down?" I almost walked up and slapped her…I have never wanted to hit a girl as bad as I wanted to hit her.

"She didn't mean to and I'm sure you were fine, however instead of being mean, why not help her? Please leave, you've done enough here." Tanya was about to say something back when principle Gorr showed up. He asked us all what was going on and told us to get to class. As everybody left Edward walked over and held his hand out to Bella. When he raised his hand, she flinched. Why? Was she afraid, had she been hurt by someone before and not told me? Finally she took it and he pulled her up. She stumbled a bit and he caught her before she could fall into something. When she was on her feet she stood looking at the floor.

"I'm sorry." He said trying to catch her eye. Wait what? Why was he sorry? I wondered. I was about to ask when I heard a soft voice asking my exact thought… Had she let me back in…no I would have felt that.

"Why?" I heard her say in a shaky voice. I walked over to her as he was answering.

"It's not right, and just because she's head cheerleader she doesn't get called out on her behavior towards others, It just makes me so mad sometimes." Wow. That makes sense I guess. I had to get to class because if I was late again I'd be in school detention until I graduated or kicked out… I told my sister this and she nodded a little, so I left.


	2. EPOV

Epov

She stood there shaking, I wondered why; she had been bullied before but never reacted this way. Her face was still expressionless and she had her hair down over one shoulder. Up close it was easy to see how very pretty she was. I had always seen her from afar. I knew she usually had very warm chocolate brown eyes but this year they seemed very cold. She turned her attention back to get the stuff from her locker. She was late, I knew she didn't like to be but lucky enough for us we were both good students so the teachers didn't mind if we were a little late sometimes. I observed her as she got her stuff, she had the legs of a dancer, muscular but pretty, smooth, and her arms were long but she was short, shorter than most. She, I guessed was about 5'0. She was really very pretty, no beautiful. Even though she was quiet there was something very mysterious and inviting and dangerous about her and I wanted to know what it was. I also wanted to know why she got quiet and wouldn't stand up for herself any more… I mean she used to be quiet the bitch to some people. I mean that in the nicest way but she was strong. Four years ago she beat up a kid twice her size because he picked on how long her beautiful hair was. She truly flipped shit on that one. It was so amazing. She doesn't really know me, we always odd the same classes but she was always considered odd , even though she was truly amazing, and I was considered a "Jock" I really wasn't big on the whole title thing. She was still stumbling for something in her locker, Her math book. I reached around her to twist it out and I felt her stiffen. I pulled it out and put it on top of her binder in her arms. I had to bend over to hear her quiet thanks.

"Can I walk with you to the next class?" I wasn't quite sure if she would be comfortable but I really didn't want to leave her company yet. She looked up at me and I saw it!... I think at least….I saw her lip twitch.

"Sure, I'd like that, thanks." She seemed more confident answering me. We got to class and I thought walking to class would be quiet but I had asked her yes or no questions just so she didn't have to answer long things. I wanted to get to know her and I figured the best way was to start small. We got into the class room, the teacher had traded in the regular seats for lab benches.

"Good, you guys are here, you sit at the back bench" she told us and we went to our new seats. I was really enjoying the fact that I got to sit next to her for a period. We sit near the window and the wind blows her hair across her face and it smells like strawberries, It was mouthwatering. She shook it off her face and looked at her books. I guess long gone was the girl who answered sweet yes and no's. oh God. I sounded cheesy. It was true though, we had an hour long period and she just kept her head down and did her notes. I studied her throughout the class to try and find a crack in her wall. She seemed to sense this because she moved her hair so it fell on her shoulders and shielded her face from me. I was not happy with that. I wanted to reach out and pull it back behind her ear. For a while I had been wandering around, figuring out what classes she had, so I could study her. I don't know why but all of a sudden I knew I wanted to know her better. Oh wait. It was the day she first became quiet, She came into the dance team practice room to tell us she wasn't continuing. As she walked out I remembered her face looked blank, except for the puffiness around her eyes. I remember her having a very big spirit, she loved to dance and sing. To be frank, I loved watching her dance, she had so much life. I also remember wanting to ask her out but I was afraid of what people would think. As I observed her now I knew I had to try to get her back to her old self, or at least crack the walls. With this in mind, I passed her a note. One simple word.

_Why_

She looked shocked when I slipped it under her arm. She took it and I saw her eyes widen.

What!

It's what she sent back. At least there was some emotion in writing. Sigh.

_I think you know.._

I said hoping she would tell me.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Looks like she's not going to talk. I thought I could try another route as long as it eneded with her still talking to me.

_Will you let me get to know you and tell me someday?_

I saw her take it and her lip twitched and she sighed.

Maybe.

That was all because the bell rang signaling the end of the day. I knew she liked to walk and her house wasn't far so I asked. "can I walk you home please?" She nodded and took out her cell phone and texted, I assume her brother. When he answered, we headed out.


End file.
